Radio Eclipse
Radio Eclipse was a very active station run by Steve Mann from October of 1996
until late 1998. The programs were mainly rock music, fake news, parody
commercials, and commentary. Most broadcasts were in sideband mode.
In addition to Radio Eclipse programs, Steve’s creativity resulted in a handful of
other “stations”, including KBLK, Voice of the Long Run, and WGTG, all broadcast
from the same transmitter. The station name was a tribute to a total solar eclipse that Steve observed in the early ‘90s.
Radio Eclipse was one of the most prolific pirates that did not get busted in the
Halloween 1998 FCC raids (although four others were visited). Feeling as though he had dodged a bullet, Steve decided to shut down shortly thereafter.The station used a variety of equipment, including a Heathkit “hot water” 101 and a Johnson Valiant, running to an inverted-Vee hidden in the trees.